Fifth Day of Christmas

This is the fifth day of the twelve-day festal tide - a sacred, festive season. I have a day to myself, but lots of activity on my schedule, followed by a train trip north, so I plan to be present in the moment and take it one thing at a time.

Agenda today:

1. Christmas retreat

2. Kwanzaa principles

3. Light a candle for unity with nature
4. Read "The Comfort of Crows"
5. Earth care goals

6. Make end-of-year donations

1. Christmas retreat:

I am again celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with a mini-retreat for myself, and using the Soyal Way of Being as a guide for my days; that is, I'm keeping Mother Earth in my thoughts as I move quietly and respectfully about my days, in order to establish the right mood for the coming year, and reach a unity of everything in the universe.

I'm also doing some reading and writing every day, focusing on my priorities and what I'm called to do (or not do) next in my life. My plan is to contemplate, honor, and practice a different one of my life priorities on each of the 12 days, and set some goals and resolutions for 2024, based on guidance from God.

Today I am honoring my commitment to earth care and unity with nature:

What are my responsibilities to my earth and my world? What habits do I need to build in order to allow nature to thrive? What changes could I make in my buying habits?

How do I effectively witness to my community about my leading to live in Unity with the Earth, and share the Truth in a way that inspires the passion for change that I feel?

What earth care groups and causes do I really want to work for, be around, impact, and inspire? 

What do I need to learn?

2. Kwanzaa principles:

The fourth day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to the principle of ujamaa (oo-JAH-maah), cooperative economics - the idea that when we work together, we all profit. Cooperative economics encourages us to meet our common needs by chipping in together. Imagine a world where everyone shares their wealth (even our government) and uses our economic strengths to make the world a better place!

3. Light a candle for unity with nature:

I'm enjoying a daily prayer candle ceremony throughout my extended Christmas retreat, using small candles and candle ends, and will choose a new candle to add each day.

Today I light a green candle for earth care, and ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world.

4. Read "A Comfort of Crows":

I'm just beginning this pretty book by Margaret Renkl (2023), subtitled "A Backyard Year"; it includes a reading for each week of the year, starting with the preface, "Wherever You Are, Stop What You're Doing." She encourages us to stop and look at the plants around us (I had to look up most plants she mentioned - she is living in a warmer climate.)

The first chapter is called The Season of Sleeping. "Everything that waits is also preparing itself to move."

The second chapter is First Bird: "According to birding tradition, the first bird you see on the first day of the new year sets the tone for your next twelve months." She saw a crow. "I have entered into my sixties now, a time of change - to my body, To my family, to the way I think about my future--and I cling to the crow's promise of metamorphosis. What more could anyone ask from a new year than the promise--or just the hope--of renewal?"

5. Earth care goals:

I'm finishing up the work of setting goals and resolutions for the New Year, focusing on my priorities. My theme for today is care for the earth, and witness.

Care and witness goals might have to do with raising my level of integrity in some way, raising my energy and tenacity level for responsible action, using my talents to support a cause, growing as a leader and activist, or educating myself and others.

My ideas for earth care goals for next year are:

• Witness for the earth in multiple ways: Writing, speaking up, actions, craftivism, and example, in a way that inspires the passion for change that I feel.
• Continue to lead the Quaker Earthcare Support Group; use my blog platform to witness to a hopeful and energizing kind of action; create synergy in our meeting to grow, and work on challenging issues together.
• Build new habits myself, to reduce my use of plastics and have more integrity with shopping and eating habits, and disposal of batteries and other toxins. 
• Learn more about permaculture and pollinators, and other earth care habits to use on my own land. Write these in to a personal Wheel of the Year.

6. Make end-of-year donations:
Today I will look at my yearly budget and decide who to make donations to, generally my Friends Meeting, kids and schools, human rights groups, environmental groups, and those who help the homeless.

This year I'm donating to 350 Eugene, Community Supported Shelters, Friends of Trees, and our Meeting's Trout Friendly Landscape Project.